Sons of the American Revolution participate in soil blessing to commemorate a battle during the Revolutionary War

On April 17, 2021, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution, based in Winchester, participated in a soil blessing sponsored by the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter. Soil was collected to be blessed and sent to the Waxhaws Battlefield in South Carolina to commemorate the battle during the Revolutionary War, which saw a massacre of Virginia Continental troops by a mostly loyalist British force led by Banastre Tarleton.

Virginia SAR President Jeff Thomas holding the urn as it is being blessed by Father Henry Minich. Photos/Ducie Minich

Colonel Abraham Buford led a force of about 380 Virginians composed of the 7th Virginia Regiment, two companies of the 2nd Virginia Regiment, and an artillery detachment. He was originally sent to assist with the defense of Charleston, but could not reach there prior to the British takeover of the city. He was then sent to Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Lord Cornwallis sent Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton in pursuit with the British Legion. After the British caught up with the colonials, Buford was asked to surrender. He initially refused. After aligning his men in a single row, Buford had told his men not to fire until the British were close. This allowed the British to breech the American lines after only one round had been fired. Many of the Virginia force threw down their weapons to surrender. During the initial firing, Tarleton’s horse had been shot and he was pinned under the animal. His men were outraged and proceeded to massacre the men who had laid down their weapons. 113 of the men were killed with sabers, 150 so badly injured they could not be moved, and 53 prisoners were taken by the British. “Tarleton’s quarter” thereafter became an expression to refuse the taking of prisoners. This became a propaganda campaign by the Continental Army to increase recruitment.

Although the battle gave the British temporary control over South Carolina, the massacre inspired colonists to join the militia. Many of these men became the Overmountain Men who went into action against British Loyalists, at the Battle of Musgrove Mill in August, and the decisive defeat of British Major Patrick Ferguson’s command on October 7, 1780, at Kings Mountain.

Every year, the Virginia Society sponsors an urn full of Virginia dirt to be taken and spread at the site of a mass grave containing 84 men and horses of the Virginia troops who lost their lives during the battle.

Culpeper Minuteman President Charles Jameson emceed the commemoration and assisted Compatriot Bill Schwetke in filling an urn with Virginia dirt. An invocation and benediction was provided by Chaplain Len Cowherd. The soil was blessed by Father Henry Minich and presented to Virginia State SAR President Jeff Thomas, who will present the urn at the Waxhaws Monument in South Carolina.

The urn surrounded by the color guard, from left to right: Ken Bonner, Dave Cook, Dale Corey, Charles Jameson, Jeff Thomas, Mike Weyler, Paula Schwoerer, Jacob Schwoerer and Barry Schwoerer. 

A multi chapter color guard consisting of Virginia State Color Guard Commander Ken Bonner and Dave Cook (Fairfax Resolves Chapter), Bill Schwetke and Mike Dennis (Culpeper Minutemen Chapter), Dale Corey, Sean Carrigan, Barry Schwoerer and Jacob Schwoerer (Colonel James Wood II Chapter), Ken Morris (George Mason Chapter), Mike Weyler (Colonel William Grayson Chapter and Governor, Virginia Order of Founders and Patriots) and Paula Schwoerer (Elizabeth McIntosh Hamill Chapter DAR) had presented the colors.

A musket salute was fired with the singing of a patriotic song to honor the fallen patriots.